“I am not afraid, Mr. Recep!”

The leader of the Good Party, Meral Aksener, on Friday condemned a shooting attack on the Istanbul party headquarters and expressed courage to President Tayyip Erdogan, with whom she had earlier exchanged words in a dispute over post- earthquake reconstruction.

Speaking to reporters in front of the building, Aksener referenced a recent live broadcast in which Erdogan told her not to bother him, saying, "This time, they told me not to bother them with myself. Today, our Istanbul Provincial Headquarters was shot at from two different locations."

Earlier in the day, the Good Party building in the Merter district of Istanbul was targeted in a shooting attack by unidentified individuals. A bullet hit the window of the building in the Merter district, prompting police to rush to the scene and conduct an investigation.

Aksener went on to criticize Erdogan, saying, "I have experienced everything under Erdogan's rule. But everything will change. You are losing your cool, realizing you only have 1.5 months left, and instead of yelling at your sycophants, you are yelling at us. But there is no escape."

She added: "A political party cannot be intimidated one and a half months before an election. We are not afraid. I fear nothing but God. Mr. Recep, I am not afraid of you. But you are the president and you are responsible for every citizen in this country."

Aksener also called on Turkish citizens to vote against the current government in the upcoming election, saying, "You cannot continue with this monstrous system. You will go to the polls in one and a half months and change this monstrous system with your legitimate votes."

Prior to the attack, there had been a war of words between the leader of the Good Party, Meral Aksener, and Erdogan. The two engaged in a verbal sparring match following Aksener's criticisms of post-earthquake construction projects.

During a public address, President Erdogan took aim at Aksener's comments, saying, "If we say we will do something, we will do it, Mrs. Meral. Be careful with our name. My name is Tayyip and my surname is Erdogan. Pay attention to this. When you speak, speak accordingly. Don't make me struggle with you.."

In response to Erdogan's comments, Aksener took to Twitter and said: "I saw you were very tense on your way out, Mr. Recep Bey. Drink chamomile tea in the evenings, it will do you good."